


I Want to Stay in your Arms Forever

by redscrollsofmalec



Series: Moments Lost to Time [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec is worried about Magnus, Comfort, Couch Cuddles, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Malec, Post 3x13, SO MUCH FLUFF, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:47:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23038078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redscrollsofmalec/pseuds/redscrollsofmalec
Summary: Alec is late home after a mission and Magnus is worried. Alec makes it up to him with lots of cuddles.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Moments Lost to Time [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1477124
Comments: 10
Kudos: 127





	I Want to Stay in your Arms Forever

**Author's Note:**

> I felt like this fandom needed more clingy Magnus... so I wrote it. Enjoy!
> 
> (Note: this takes place after 3x13)

Alec took off running the moment he was out of the Institute, having forced himself to walk while he was inside. The other Shadowhunters would likely not appreciate their Institute’s Head sprinting down the halls unless there was an actual emergency, not an I-need-to-see-my-boyfriend emergency. 

The Greenlaw investigation had taken up most of his evening and it was nearing midnight now. Amidst everything that was going on, Alec had forgotten to text Magnus to say that he would be home late.  _ Home.  _ The word brought a smile to Alec’s lips. They hadn’t made things official yet, and things hadn’t exactly gone to plan last time Alec had tried to bring up the subject, but in his heart, Alec did consider Magnus’ loft home. Hopefully, one day, Magnus would feel the same.

Magnus wasn’t the sort of partner that demanded updates via text every hour. He trusted Alec, but losing his magic and not being able to portal anywhere or fight anyone had left him feeling vulnerable. Alec was trying to be understanding, so he liked to reassure Magnus by telling him when he was coming home, and that he was safe after missions. Both of which he’d neglected to do tonight. 

Alec lifted his shirt and activated his stamina rune. Without slowing down, he drew a quick speed rune on his forearm. Jace used speed runes, but Alec normally didn’t see the need for them. As Head of the Institute, he could leave the demon-chasing to others, and until recently he’d had a boyfriend who could portal him anywhere he wanted to go. As he sped up, he could feel the wind against his skin, brushing through his hair.  _ I should do this more often.  _

Although it was the middle of the night, the streets of Brooklyn were alive and bustling with activity.  _ New York, the city that never sleeps,  _ Alec thought grimly. He wove through street vendors, drunks and taxis on his way to Magnus’ building. He didn’t stop running until he was inside one of the building’s elevators. With his stele, which fortunately hadn’t fallen out of his pocket on the way, Alec deactivated his stamina and speed runes. His breath was coming out in short bursts from exertion; it was a long way to run, even for a Shadowhunter, and Alec wasn’t at his fittest.

Magnus’ door was locked with a conventional lock and key. With the loss of his magic came the loss of his wards which would let the right people in and out. Alec knocked, hoping Magnus was still awake to let him in.

“Alec? Is that you?”

“Yes,” Alec replied through the door, fondest creeping into his voice as it tended to do when it was directed at Magnus. He heard some shuffling, then some footsteps, and then the door opened. Magnus was wearing a silk robe over a pair of Alec’s old sweatpants, and there were nervous furrows in his brow. “Sorry I’m back so late, I should’ve called or something.”

Magnus didn’t pause to reply before flinging his arms around Alec’s neck and pulling him in close for a hug. “I’m just glad you’re safe,” he said, his lips brushing against Alec’s cheek. Alec pulled back so he could place his hands on either side of Magnus’ face. With his thumbs, he smoothed away the lines of worry on Magnus’ forehead.

“Were you worried about me?” he asked.

Magnus gave a little scoff. “No. Well, maybe a little. I know you can take care of yourself, but now that I’m a mundane, it’s hard not to feel powerless to prevent you from getting hurt.”

“Hey, it’s okay to be worried. But I’ll do everything I can to make sure I come home to you at the end of the day.” Alec bent forward to press a kiss to Magnus’ forehead, Magnus’ eyes fluttering to a close as he did so. 

“The door’s still open,” Magnus mumbled when Alec was finished. Alec closed the front door with his foot and turned the key to lock it. He then tried to take off his bow and quiver, which was difficult when Magnus’ arms were still wrapped loosely around his waist. 

“Are you going to keep holding onto me like that?”

“Yes.” Magnus tightened his grip.

Alec chuckled and set his bow down next to the door. “C’mon, let’s go to the couch.”

Together, they made their way to one of Magnus’ black sofas. Magnus had his arm around Alec the whole time, as if he was afraid that Alec would leave if he let go.

“You know I’m not going anywhere, right?” Alec said with a trace of amusement in his voice.

“Yes, but I haven’t seen you all day.” Magnus pulled Alec down onto the couch and tucked his feet up so he could lean the side of his body into Alec’s. “Well, I did see you at the Institute this morning, but we barely exchanged a word. And I kept waiting for you this evening but you didn’t arrive until midnight.”

“And I’m sorry about that.” Alec let his arm fall across Magnus’ shoulders and gently stroked his thumb in soothing motions against Magnus’ bicep. “How can I make it up to you?”

“By cuddling me now.” Magnus burrowed his head into Alec’s chest and the scent of his sandalwood shampoo tickled Alec’s nose. Most of his weight was resting on Alec, but Alec didn’t mind. He loved holding his boyfriend close; the warmth of Magnus’ body was a comfort to him, and helped remind him what he was fighting for. 

But tonight he could feel the tension in the taut muscles of Magnus’ shoulders and upper back that was refusing to go away. Alec could understand why; it had been a tense week, hell, it had been a tense few months. Still, he wanted Magnus to feel able to relax when it was just them together in the loft—their personal sanctuary. Now that Lilith was banished and Iris Rouse imprisoned, no one would try to hurt them here. 

Alec used his fingers to try and massage some tension out of Magnus’ back, but Magnus flinched under his touch.

“It hurts,” he whimpered when Alec withdrew his hand. Alec frowned. He supposed he had been digging his fingers in pretty hard, but it wasn’t good for Magnus to be so high-strung for extended periods of time.

“How long have you been tense like this for?”

“I don’t know, all day, I suppose,” Magnus said reluctantly. “It’s hard not to be with everything that’s going on.” 

“I get it, I really do.” Alec tilted Magnus’ chin up to give him a soft kiss. “But we’ll get through it, we always do.”

“Mm.” Magnus settled back into Alec’s chest. “You can try massaging my back again, softly this time.”

Alec obliged, using the palm of his hand to rub Magnus’ back without applying too much pressure. He brought his other hand up to Magnus’ hair and started to stroke the longer strands on the top of his head. This had the desired effect, with Magnus melting against Alec. His muscles finally began to relax as Alec continued to massage his back and play with his hair.

He contemplated telling Magnus about Greenlaw and the Heavenly Fire project, but decided against it. Magnus had enough on his plate for tonight; Alec didn’t need to give him anything more to stress about. He would tell Magnus tomorrow, after they’d both had a good night’s sleep.

Speaking of sleep, Magnus’ grip on Alec had gone slack and his eyes were closed. The loft was quiet enough that he could hear Magnus breathing deeply and evenly.

“Magnus,” Alec whispered, bending down to kiss his cheek.

Magnus made a soft, sleepy noise and shifted slightly, but didn’t open his eyes.

“Magnus,” Alec said louder, shaking him gently. “You can’t sleep here.”

“Why not?”

“Because we’re both too tall for this couch.” Alec chuckled and couldn’t resist placing one more kiss on Magnus’ cheek. He carefully manoeuvred Magnus off him and stood up, yawning as he stretched his arms over his head.

“No, Alec, come back.” Magnus pouted and reached out his arms towards Alec.

“You have to come to bed,” Alec said, taking hold of Magnus’ hands. “It’s just one room away.”

“Don’t want to move.”

“Okay.” Alec rolled his eyes at his ridiculous, overtired boyfriend. He bent down, lifted Magnus into his arms and started towards their bedroom. “We’ll have to compromise, then.”

Magnus smiled and wrapped his arms around Alec’s neck, pressing his lips against Alec’s deflect rune. “I like this compromise.”

**Author's Note:**

> I also have a Tumblr that I'm trying to be active on. Follow me @redscrollsofmalec :)


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